Obituaries for March 4, 2004

March 04, 2004 12:00 am

Enis R. Congelosi

Aug. 14, 1913  March 2, 2004

Lifelong Tuolumne resident Enis R. Congelosi died Tuesday at a Sonora hospital. She was 90.

She was born in Tuolumne to Pietro and Katerina Borzini, of Oleggio, Italy, who immigrated in the early 1900s. She lived in Tuolumne her entire life and worked as a bookkeeper for more than 40 years for various businesses.

She also served on the Tuolumne Park and Recreation District board for more than two decades and for years was considered the district's unofficial historian.

She was no stranger to controversy, steering the Recreation District through a long-running controversy over purchase of the Sierra Railroad tracks running from Standard to Tuolumne. "I say what I feel. I've been that way all my life," she said on leaving the board in 1991. "After all, I'm Italian."

She was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Tuolumne. She was a charter member and past officer of Saint Joseph's Guild; charter member, past president and honorary lifetime member of Young Ladies Institute; charter member and officer of the Italian Catholic Federation of Sonora and co-founded the Italian Catholic Federation in Angels Camp, where she was an officer; charter member, past president and honorary lifetime member of the Summerville Elementary PTA; past officer of the Tuolumne County Humane Society; charter member and past president of the Tuolumne Progressive Club; member of Friends of the River, and director of Friends of the Sierra Railroad.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Antonette "Toni" and James Houck of Long Barn; grandchildren, Kelleen Houck of Arizona, Danielle Houck of Seattle, Shoshanna and Keisha Congelosi, both of Boone, N.C.; great-grandchildren, Sara Whitehead of Sonora, Meagan Whitehead and Jackson Cooke of Seattle and Steven Dyer of Arizona; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by a son, Peter Congelosi, on Dec. 10, 2000; a brother, Peter Borzini, who died in the flu epidemic of the early 1900s; a sister, Mary Guidici; and a brother-in-law, Santos Guidici.

A Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. tomorrow at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Tuolumne. Burial is scheduled at Carters Cemetery. A reception at St. Joseph's Hall will follow.

She was born in San Francisco and had lived in Groveland for five years. She worked as a records supervisor for the San Mateo Sheriff's Department from 1969-75 and for the Menlo Park Police Department from 1975-84.

Her family said there was nobody else who loved life like "Mama" did and that her life was centered around her husband, her family and especially her grandchildren. She loved her grandchildren, and they made her life, her family added.

She is survived by her husband, Edwin O'Brien of Groveland; a son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Joan O'Brien of Great Falls, Mont.; a son-in-law, Simon Drake of Lathrop, San Joaquin County; a sister-in-law, Karol Holm of Livermore; grandchildren, Amy Drake and her fianc, Steven Gonya, both of Illinois, Dain Drake of Lathrop, and Tiffany O'Brien of Great Falls; a nephew, John Holm and his fianc, Julie, both of Livermore; and a close friend, Kathy Prusac of Illinois.

She was preceded in death by a daughter, Allison Drake, in March 1990 and by a brother, Bob Holm, in March 2000.

Visitation is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. tomorrow at Heuton Memorial Chapel. A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Columbia Presbyterian Church of the 49ers. A reception will follow.

Donations can be made to Visiting Nurse Association-Hospice of the Sierra, P.O. Box 4805, Sonora, CA 95370.

Heuton Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.

Frances R. Robinson

March 6, 1920  March 2, 2004

Frances R. Robinson of Sonora died Tuesday at a Sonora hospital. She was 83.

She was born in Webster, S.D., and had lived in Sonora for one year. She previously lived in Palmer, Alaska. She was a homemaker for 63 years.

Her family said she loved to fish and crochet.

She is survived by her sons, Art Robinson of Mcminnville, Ore., Leroy Robinson of Keno, Ore., and Denis Robinson of Palmer; daughters, Joyce Landfried of Napa, Karen Robinson of Vancouver, Wash., and Connie Hawkins of Sonora; a brother, Edward Baisch of Newberg, Ore.; a sister, Delores Eberhard of Newberg; 19 grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren.

A service will be held in Keno, Ore.

Heuton Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.

Notice

ALDRICH  Robert Earl Aldrich, 46, of Valley Springs died yesterday at a San Andreas hospital. Visitation is scheduled for noon to 5 p.m. tomorrow at San Andreas Memorial Chapel. A graveside service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Independence Cemetery in Railroad Flat. San Andreas Memorial Chapel is handling arrangements.